Washington Capitals December: A Month To Remember, A Month to Forget

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The Washington Capitals closed out the month of December with a decisive win over the Montreal Canadiens, beating them by a score of 3-0.  

The Caps closed December out on a high note, winning their last two games, but the month was not all smiles for the Caps.

As the team heads toward the New Year and the Winter Classic there are some things to remember and some things to forget from December.

Remember The Losing Streak

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Between December 2nd and December 18th the Capitals lost eight straight games. During that time they lost their stranglehold on first place in the Southeast Division. 

The team should not forget their struggles through those eight games, the knowledge that they can overcome adversity will serve them well later in the season.

Forget The Scoring Struggles

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During the month of December the Capitals stars struggled:

Goals Assists Points +/-

Alex Ovechkin: 4 6 10 +3

Nicklas Backstrom 2 7 9 0

Alexander Semin 0 5 5 +1

Mike Green 2 2 4 0

 

The Caps stars need to put their personal scoring struggles behind them, what's in the past needs to be forgotten.  Move on.

Remember The Captain's Fight

On December 12 Alex Ovechkin fought the Rangers Brandon Dubinsky. After the fight Ovechkin looked at his team's bench and urged them on.  This was Ovechkin's first fight with the Caps. 

When a superstar is so frustrated that he'll fight, that sends a message and that message is that there is no quit in the team's captain.

Remember The Penguins Game

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In the midst of one of the worst month's under head coach Bruce Boudreau the team played the red hot Pittsburgh Penguins and kept the score tied through regulation and overtime. 

The Penguins prevailed in the shootout, but the game proved that even when things are going bad overall each game needs to be taken as a separate entity.

Forget The Losing Streak: Scott Hannan

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Scott Hannan is a long time pro who has logged almost 800 NHL games during his career.

The Caps losing streak began on the day he played his first game in a Caps uniform after arriving via trade from the Colorado Avalanche, not exactly how you would want to start your stint with a new squad.

During December, Hannan, who is not expected to score many goals, had 0 points and a plus/minus rating of minus seven.

Remember The Capitals Are Still in First Place

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During the eight-game slide, the Caps saw themselves fall as low as third place in the Southeast Division. When they broke the streak and put some wins together they also put themselves back on top of the division.

As the month ended, the Caps had 49 points, two points ahead of the second place Tampa Bay Lightning and five points in front of the third place Atlanta Thrashers.

Remember The Fans

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During the teams prolonged losing streak, the Caps fans stood behind the team, never turning negative, never showering the home team with boos and always filling the Verizon Center. 

The commitment of the fans should not be forgotten.